Are alligators a concern when diving some Caves in Florida?

[Leandro]

My mother just asked me if there are alligators in some of the submerged caves in Florida and if cave divers are trained to deal with them.

Aside from what you can find in the cave diving books (almost nothing) I did not know what to say to her; perhaps, this is not a problem at all, right or wrong?

[aquanut...]

Not really a concern. Gators have a really hard time swapping regs due to their arms being too short. Valve drills are impossible. They also have issues frog kicking. But seriously you are more likely to be struck by lightning than bitten by a gator.

[CptTightPants21]

I have heard that Jill Heinerth has a great story about exiting a cave and doing her deco on a submerged log. 20 minutes in, the log decided to swim away.........whoops

[bamafan]

I think during the summer they would seek out the warmer river water and thus not be in the cooler spring water. Now during the winter I have wondered why they didn't congregate in the warmer spring water like the Manatee do. I guess they hibernate elsewhere. I have seen them close to the springs but thankfully not in the springs. I have heard a few stories but luckily they seem very rare. After the incident this past weekend where the lady lost her arm I was definitely looking around before I got in the tannic river water to go cave diving.

[Kelly Jessop]

I have heard that Jill Heinerth has a great story about exiting a cave and doing her deco on a submerged log. 20 minutes in, the log decided to swim away.........whoops

I was exiting Black lagoon with my buddy, and had gone past the fissure and I was in one of the small rooms before the cavern, and everything went black and I felt something slam against me. I figured I got too close to my buddy. When I made it to the basin and got my deco bottle my buddy started flashing me very rapidly. 3 feet away from me was an 8ft alligator on a ledge. Needless to say I blew off deco that day.

[ARY]

I was kayaking in jungle swamp to one remote spring scouting for virgin caves. As many know inner waters down here may have 10+ feet of mud and a dense wood debris above the real bottom. So I was kayaking in like 6 inch above that quagmire and often I had to push instead of paddling cause it gets stuck on stuff. Well there was bunch of mewing babies and momma size of my Perception. I suddenly realized that I would have no chance here and that feeling was like a taser hit. She would have no problem running on top of that crap and I was like a caviar on a silver plate there.

Gator actually comes in winter into springs following fish. They just dont like crowds therefore will be in off beaten path places. Known by cavers holes in Chassahowitzka, and also lower Withlacoochee, Rainbow, Silver river, Oklawaha, Ichetucknee, Juniper, Alexander, St.Johns ..., they all have them. I think it is only matter of size, anything over 6ft would be a concern to me.

Think of it as a bear danger up in northwest, except pepper spray will not work. I think the best pill for them is 7.62 but it doesnt come in small cans.

[Walter Pickel]

There is always this approach to gators and cave diving

[MarkR]

... I was definitely looking around before I got in the tannic river water to go cave diving.

If you see a gator, I would not worry too much. The visible ones are not usually hungry.

Try to swim with a buddy. ...It reduces your chances of being eaten by roughly 50%.

[LiteHedded]

If you see a gator, I would not worry too much. The visible ones are not usually hungry.

Try to swim with a buddy. ...It reduces your chances of being eaten by roughly 50%.

a visible one just took a woman's arm off at wekiva island and then bit her in the abdomen for good measure

[tj]

Seems most of the least known or accessed caves in Florida, certainly Central Florida, have a gator around. I just like to know where they are; but I'm still diving the cave. Carry a big stick to make yourself feel better. . .